Improvement in thrashing-machines



QsherS--sheem A. IUHNSTUN. Thrashing-Machines. NQ |3A,8Q] Patented Jan. 14, 1873.

28h4 --S 2. A. JQHNSTQN. ee he Thrashng-Machnes. No. 134,89. Pgemqd 1an. 14.1873.

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AM. pHoro-umasRAPn/c coA mf(ossoR/vs's pkaces) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

` ARTHUR JOHNSTON, OE LOOKPORT, NEw YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN THRASHlNG-MACHINES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 134,891, dated January 14, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR JOHNSTON, of

Lockport, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, Vhave invented certain Improvements in ThrashingfMachines, of which the following is a specification:

Nature of the Intention.

General Description.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved machine 5 Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 3, a plan of the shoe, showing its connection with the main case or frame; Fig. 4, a view oi the suspending attachment to one side ofthe shoe; Fig. 5, a section of the concave; Figs. 6, 7, and 8, de- -tail views.

The main frame or case A is of the usual 'form of thrashing-machines, and is mounted on wheels B B in the usual way. It also has the ordinary hopper C for feeding in the grain; the ordinary raddles D E for carrying oif the Astraw and separating the grain therefrom; and `the usual elevator Gr for elevating the tailings as they pass from the shoe. The power is applied froin the tumbling-rod through the medium of bevel-wheel 1, incased in the shield a, and driving the shaft b. On this shaft is a clutch, o, with lever-handle d, by which it is thrownfinto or out of gear; and at the end of the shaft is a bevel-gear, 2, which meshes with -a corresponding bevel-pinion that drives the beater F, Fig. 2. On the end of the beatershaft F is a spur-wheel, 3, which engages with and gives motion to a larger spur-wheel, 4, situated on shaft H that drives the lower Jraddle-agitators I K and the upper shaft L,

by which the upper raddle is driven. At the end of shaft f is also a bevel-wheel,14, engaging with another, 15, by which motion is given to the fly M, which is located outside the upper raddle and in the discharge-mouth of the machine. A similar fly, N, is also located in the space between the ends of the twol raddles, driven by a pulley on the opposite side of the machine from 'that shown in` Fig. -1.k The object and operation of these flies will presently be explained. Abeater, J, is also used above the upper raddle, similar to F, above the lower one. These beaters simply catch and stir up the straw by the curvediin gers attached thereto, and thus serve to separate the grain therefrom. The other pinion, 7, gives motion to a shaft, g, which extends downward in an angular direction to the back corner of the machine, where it has a bevel-geaul, that meshes with a corresponding one, 17, Fig. 7, that runs a cross-shaft. This shaft, by suitable gearing,

gives-motion to the elevator that raises the tailings through spout G. The ends ofthe two shafts connect with a hollow box, O, Fig. 7, which holds gear 17 inside it. 40n the outside of the inner plate of the box is a boss or stud through which the cross-shaft passes, and on this boss rests a hinge-arm, P, with hinge h. There is one of these on each side of the machine, and they serve to attach the base of the straw-stacker which elevates the straw to the top of the stack. These hinged arms, turning eoncentrically, will allow the stacker to be raised at any angle or elevation. The ordinary fan-case Q is employed, holding the fan R. Just in the rear of the fan-case is a ueboard, S, extending from side to side, and made curved or concave in cross-section or longitudinally of the machine. The wings it of the fan are also made concave in cross-section in the direction of motion, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. By this combination ofthe crosslue board S with the curved wings 'i -i I produce a special eect, viz: I prevent any back action or suction of the air after it has once passed the ue. This will be apparent when it is seen that in passing the ilue the heel or inner edge of the wings will come opposite the inner edge of the iiue-board before the outer edge of the wings will. This obviates a great"` difficulty heretofore experienced in the drawing back of the air. The ueboard tnrns'on a hinge, so as to be adjusted to any desired angle. One advantage of the concave' form of the flue-board is that it gives a turn or deflection struction, but is hung in a peculiar way, by

which a rotary horizontal motion is obtained.

,Y *e shaft, lo, Figs. 1 and 3, is located horizontally on the outside of the machine.5 This shaft has a bevelgear, 18, which en gages with a corresponding gear on the fan-shaft, by which it receives motion. It also has two bevel-gears, 19 and 20, which engage with gears 2l and 22 on upright bearings ll that run in boxes attached to the frame. Ontop the bearings are crank-rods m m, to which are jointed lugs n a, which pass through slots made in the casin g of the machine, and are then securely bolted to the side of the shoe. Upon the opposite side of the casin g of the main frameand upon its rear post are attached bearings o o. From these depend rods or arms p p, which connect at the bottom with corresponding lugs q q that are bolted fast to the shoe. The connection of the rods p pis such that they have a free swinging motion from their top bea-rings, as shown in Fig. 4. The revolutions of the crank-heads m m will cause a rotary motion to be given to the shoe, which is assisted by the suspension of the rods at the opposite side. This motion gives a regular and uniform action to the separation, and assists the blast in carrying off the refuse. It'also diffuses "and spreads the mass equally over the whole surface, and prevents the irregularity that occurs where motion is simply forward and back or crosswise. The combination of the crank motion with the pendulous one on the two opposite sides is effective in producing this action, while but very little friction is caused. 'The cylinder U is of ordinary construction and form. Tlieconcave, however, is peculiar. It consists of two sections or halves,V V. The first one,V, is made xed and stationary, and has the ordinary teeth for meshing with the teeth of the cylinder. The second section, V', is hung upon the pivot r, and its opposite end is made t0 adjust higher or lower in order to increase or decrease the friction in proportion to the kind and quality of the gra-in. The swinging end is held and graded in proper position during the adjustment by means of a concentric lug, s, which has a slot, s', through which passes a pin, t, that forms the guide. At each side of the machine is a curved cam, u, resting under the swinging part of the concave and attached -to a cross-shaft, t. By turning the shaft one way or the other it will be seen the concave will be raised or lowered correspondingly by the cams. To the end of the shaft, outside the machine, Fig. l, is secured a ratchet-wheel, w,

with which engages a pawl, x. This is for the purpose of holding the shaft with the cams raised to any desired position. The whole concave is attached to a plate, W, on each side of the machine. At the inner end this plate turns on a bolt or pivot; but at the outer end it is made adjustable vertically by means of screwrods and wrenches X X, as shown at the left in Fig. 2. This adjustment is for the purpose of moving the stationary part V of the concave bodily up and down.

By means of this combined adjustment of the two sections of the concave, the rst moving up and down bodily and the last swinging upon a center Yto open andfclose theY mouth, YI Y can attain a better result in the clearing of the grain from the heads than in any other arrangement with which I am acquainted.

The swinging section of the concave is made either slatted or entire with holes through. The stationary part has holes through for the purpose of allowing the passage of the grain. Heretofore these holeshave been made straight through, or in a radial line with the concave. In such case the grain is much broken by the great force employed in thrashing. To obviate this I make the holes y y angular, the angle running backward from the direction of motion of the cylinder. At the bottom they concentrateto a discharge-opening of proper size, through which the grain passes. The angles of these openings stand in the direction in which the grain is forced back by the cylinder; and as they present no sharp edges for contact the grain will pass oli' without being broken. This forms one feature of novelty in my invention.

In the rear of the cylinder is a shaft, y, having a series of fingers, z z, which extend down at an angle till they nearly reach the upper surface of the lower raddle. On the end ot the shaft, outside the machine, is a head, j, (Fig. 6,) to which is attached a spring-rod, Z, that moves over the face of a concentric ratchet, a2, into the teeth of which it catches and holds at any elevation. By this means the 1in gers can be set at anyheight, asindicated by the dotted lines, Fig. 2.

The object of these lingers is to prevent the throwing or forcing of the 4straw upward over the surface of the raddle too rapidly by the rapid movement of the cylinder. The lingers serve as a brake or stop, so that the straw will pass up gradually over the raddle for the perfect separation of the grain. 1:-

The iies M N are of importance in connection with the raddles in producing a perfect separation of the grain from the straw. The iiy N, lying between the two raddles, tosses the straw over from one to the other, and shakes the grain out so ithatit will drop through the space r below. .The other one, M, has asimilar function at the top, andthe additionalone of producing a perfect discharge of the straw and preventing any clogging or back action.

It will be noticed that each ofthe iiies is com- .posed of three slats secured to arms or forks from the shaft so as to leave the whole as open as possible for the` passage of the grain. lIt is necessary to interpose in the shaft b, also in the shaftand also in other shafts of the machine, universal joints, so as to give free action to the shafts and prevent any binding` or twist. Iemploy the ordinary coupling-rin g A2, (Fig. 8,) in which t the forks or branching ends f2 f2 of the e shaft, connected to the ring by the ordinary cross bolts or pins g2g?. At one end of each bolt is located a flat spring, h2, which fits into `a seat, t2, formed for it at one end, while the other end is curved down and rests in a seat, k2, by which it is shielded from contact with anything in revolving. This spring covers the end of the bolt and prevents its displacement or escape.

Claims.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is y 1. In a thrashing-machine, the combination, with a concave constructed in sections V V', of the adjusting devices, substantially as described, whereby one section is adjustable up and` down bodily, and the other adjustable upon the pivot r for gaging the dischargemouth, as herein set forth. V

2. In combination with the concave formed of the two sections V V, the cams a, shaft c, and ratchet and pawl w w, vfor adjusting one section, and the screw-rods and wrenches X for adjusting the other, as herein shown and described.

3. The section V of the concave, provided with discharge-apertures made angular or inslatted ies M N, one located in the space be- Y Atween the raddles and the other in the discharge-mouth of the machine, said llies being combined with the raddles, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

6. In a thrashing-machine, in combination with the curved wings i t' of the fan, the curved flue-plate S, arranged and operating as herein described.

7. In combination with the shoe T, the shaft 7c, gears 19 20 2l 22, crank-headsm, and lugs n on one side, and the lugs o q and penidulous rods'p p on the other, for` giving a horizontal rotary motion to said shoe, asv herein shown and described.

8. The combination of the hollow box O with the hinge-arms P,geonstructedand arranged to operate as herein shown and described.

9. In combination with the cbupling-rifng A2, branching ends f2, and cross-bolts g2- g2,.the flat springs 71.2 and seat i2, as herein Vshown and described, for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses: ARTHUR JOHNSTON.

It. F. Oscoon, AROHIE BAINE. 

